European Team of the Week: Suarez and Balotelli Form Attacking Dream Team

Luis Suarezbenefited from a double game week in the Premier League, netting five times and picking up an assist as Liverpool comfortably dispatched Norwich and West Ham to keep pace with league leaders Arsenal.

Mario Balotelli partners him in attack following his brace in Milan’s 2-2 draw with Livorno, with the pairing receiving the WhoScored.com man of the match award in each of their respective matches.

Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images

Eden Hazard takes his place on the left flank following two memorable performances against Sunderland and Stoke. Chelsea may have lost to the latter at the weekend, but Hazard completed 25 successful dribbles over 180 minutes of football, not to mention his two goals and assist in the win over Sunderland.

Thomas Mueller starts on the right after his two assists and goal in Bayern’s 7-0 thumping of Werder Bremen, with the German also executing three key passes in the win.

Team-mate Mario Goetze is in the heart of the midfield following his display in the same encounter, having netted and provided one assist, coincidentally for Mueller’s only goal of the game, while the young Germany international also made four successful dribbles over the 90 minutes.

Goetze is partnered by Arturo Vidal after another all-round impressive performance in the middle of the park for Juventus in their win over Bologna. The Chilean not only netted the opener but made a notable eight tackles and three interceptions.

Emre Can performed admirably in Bayer Leverkusen’s surprise 1-0 win over Borussia Dortmund. The 19-year-old completed seven dribbles and made five tackles and three interceptions.

At right-back, Lorenzo De Silvestri picked up an assist in Sampdoria’s 2-0 victory at the expense of Catania and ensured i Blucerchiati kept a clean sheet having made six tackles, two interceptions and eight clearances.

WhoScored

In the heart of defence, Steven Caulker turned in back-to-back man of the match performances for Cardiff City, having won 19 aerial duels in their Premier League encounters against Stoke and Crystal Palace, while also making one last-man tackle in the meeting with the latter.

Naldo partners the young England hopeful as a result of his impact in Wolfsburg’s 3-0 win over Freiburg, with the Brazilian winning five aerial duels, eight tackles and three interceptions as Die Wolfe kept within touching distance of a top-four place in the Bundesliga.

Making up the XI is Tim Howard in goal, following trips to Manchester United and Arsenal for Everton. The Toffees picked up four points from a possible six and Howard made a combined 10 saves in the Premier League doubleheader, resulting in Everton now sitting just two points off second-placed Liverpool in England’s top tier.

All statistics courtesy of WhoScored.com, where you can find yet more stats, including live, in-game data and unique player and team ratings.